Originally Posted by
Bucking Bar
Flows are always a bad deal for pilots and the piloting profession. Consider:
- Companies, and sometimes unions, negotiate flow through agreements to perpetuate a farm-team theory, that one job flying the airline's passengers is much less than another job flying the exact same passengers
- The pilot-participant trades lower wages and working conditions for a promise of future employment at a mainline carrier. Airline management pretty much sucks at keeping promises due to the cyclical nature of the industry (often no fault of their own; fuel prices, 9/11, political instability (including in the US now))
- Pilots can be a strange bunch who measure themselves and each other by factors which have nothing to do with reality (Air Force v Navy, Military v Civillian, etc) A person who flowed without meeting the mainline carrier's hiring standards will often be viewed as <. Does it matter? Sometimes. At my airline a Air Force Academy grad usually has a faster track to whatever management or union job (if that's your thing)
- A flow gives you zero seniority. Others will jump in line in front of you
- A flow gives you zero longevity - still endure first-year pay
As someone who paid for my own college and ratings, I get that an applicant is looking for assurance that they will get to the brass ring and the investment of time and money will pay off. Let me assure you that if (1) you are a nice person who makes friends, who focuses on safety and the customer (2) are a mediocre pilot (3) can stay out of easily avoidable trouble (don't drink and drive, don't smart off to cops, etc) you will make it. Even the difference between a two or three year tenure at a regional carrier and a six year (or longer when the regional gets short-staffed and holds you back) is easily several million dollars over a career. Guys 1,000 numbers senior to me at a 14,500 pilot airline easily out earn me by $50,000 a year. Their lives are a lot less stressful because they avoid some really crappy flying. They are enjoying more vacation and started their 401K's in earnest years before I did.
This business is a line. Get yourself in the best line as soon as you can. No sense waiting in a line that isn't moving.
You make some good points, however I don’t see how having a flow in your back pocket is a bad thing. I would never just sit back and wait for the flow though. You can still hustle to try to get hired, but if for some reason you don’t get the call, you have it as a backup plan. There are still a lot of great pilots trying to get an interview....All that said I didn’t go through any flow but they weren’t prevalent when I was in the regionals, but if I were there today I would consider it. It wouldn’t be my sole deciding factor but I would consider it as something to put down as a pro when making a decision.